One of the most traditional forms of marketing is with direct mail, which involves sending out sales letters, postcards, newsletters, fliers, and other marketing collateral via good old U.S. mail. Because our world has become so Internet-centric, I think a lot of people have forgotten about this strategy, which can still be quite effective if done correctly.

Of all the direct mail options, postcards remain my favorite type of marketing collateral for a bunch of reasons. For starters, they are relatively inexpensive to print and mail. Also, since less than 5% of direct mail is actually opened by recipients, postcards greatly increase your chances of getting people to notice because they stand out in a sea of envelopes. I also favor oversized postcards (8.5 x 5.5) because these really stand out.

Here are some of the ways to use postcards for marketing:

Individual Products and Services – When I launch a new product or service, I usually have a postcard designed. I either rent a mailing list (from a source like http://InfoUSA.com) or send them out to my internal mailing list of readers and clients.

Package Inserts – Postcards make great inserts in packages that are mailed out. I like to write a personal note on the back of a postcard when sending something along to a client or a prospect.

Conferences and Events – Postcards also work well on display tables at conferences and events. They are more substantial than a flier and usually have more aesthetic appeal (especially the oversized version).

Bag Stuffers – When I was invited to submit 500 fliers for stuffing in conference swag bags, I decided to use postcards instead. In lieu of a purely promotional postcard, I printed up a list of tips for the audience on the front of the card and saved the promotional messaging for the back of the card. My goal was to provide something that attendees would keep or even post next to their desks.

Personalized Design – There are plenty of places to buy standard business stationery, but for years I have used custom postcards instead of boring notecards. I purchase high-quality photo art from http://istockphoto.com and place a favorite motivational quote across the image. On the back side, I simply include my contact information at the bottom and leave plenty of room for writing a note. Though I love technology and use it well every day, I still cherish a hand-written note and try to write them as often as possible.

Book Promotion – Direct mail campaigns can be effective for selling books if you’re careful not to blow your budget. An author of a history book told me that he sends postcards to librarians to promote his books, and as a result has sold more than 1,000 copies. You could also create postcards to offer review copies of your book to targeted prospects, such as professors at universities. Because it’s so hard to justify spending big bucks to market books alone, make sure to do a small test mailing and monitor the results you get. If you send out 100 postcards and only sell two books, you will need to rethink your strategy. But if you mail out 100 postcards and get an order for 1,000 books as a result, then clearly the strategy you’re using is working!

Download Our Most Popular Reports

New Book: The Nonfiction Book Publishing Plan

Recent Blog Posts

Book reviews are essential because they help potential readers make a purchase decision. Sending out review copies for potential review is something every author should include in their marketing plans. The more people who know about your book, the better the chance of building word of mouth buzz. Plan to send out 50 to 500 […]

Are you ready to add more revenues to your author business? Here are the top ten ways authors can earn more money. 1. Coaching/Consulting Becoming a coach or consultant is often a logical step for authors who want to help others. Building a program based on content from your book can become a wonderful revenue […]

Nearly all of the major media outlets have websites with easy access to contact information for reporters, editors, and producers. In fact, they make it almost ridiculously easy to find email information because the reality is that they need story ideas! While this information is easy to locate, the research can take time. Keep reading… […]

Member of the Week

Author Name: Steven Howard Book Title: Better Decisions. Better Thinking. Better Outcomes. How to go from Mind Full to Mindful Leadership Synopsis Too many decisions are being made by leaders and employees who are impacted by stress, overloaded brains, tiredness, and unregulated emotions. All of these are impacting their decision-making processes, cognitive abilities, and the outcomes […]

Join Our Mailing List

Looking for something?

Book reviews are essential because they help potential readers make a purchase decision. Sending out review copies for potential review is something every author should include in their marketing plans. The more people who know about your book, the better the chance of building word of mouth buzz. Plan to send out 50 to 500 […]

Are you ready to add more revenues to your author business? Here are the top ten ways authors can earn more money. 1. Coaching/Consulting Becoming a coach or consultant is often a logical step for authors who want to help others. Building a program based on content from your book can become a wonderful revenue […]

Nearly all of the major media outlets have websites with easy access to contact information for reporters, editors, and producers. In fact, they make it almost ridiculously easy to find email information because the reality is that they need story ideas! While this information is easy to locate, the research can take time. Keep reading… […]

Some authors do not sell to non-retail buyers because they are intimidated by corporate marketing professionals. If that is the case with you, start small. Begin your non-retail selling journey by calling on buyers in small companies. These businesses approximately 80% of all companies in the U.S. and they have the same needs as their […]

I’ve been saying for years that though press releases have long been the standard way to pitch media, they aren’t always the best way. You should know that reporters, editors, and producers NEED story ideas. In other words, they need you as much as you need them. Yes, it’s perfectly okay to reach out to […]

Should you speak for free? Yes – if you do it in front of the right people who are in the right room for the right reason… And along the way to answering this question in more detail, you’re also getting your 80-20 Speaking-as-Marketing strategy so let’s dig in… Research from professional services marketing firm Rain Today shows […]